How Psychologists Cope with Covid Anxiety

“I remind myself that I am taking all precautions.”

“Of course, I also tend to panic. Especially when I see the incidence curve creeping up or when my child’s classes are canceled due to the fact that one of the classmates in the family has covid, says psychotherapist Zoe Shaw. – What am I doing? I turn to facts. I look at the statistics – despite the fact that there are still a lot of cases, the number of deaths has decreased.

I also remind myself that I am doing everything I can to avoid getting sick. That I am taking all necessary precautions. In addition, I try to focus on the positive aspects, and allocate a strictly defined time for excitement – for example, half an hour a day and not a minute more.

“Practicing Gratitude”

“At times when it seems that I am no longer able to control my life, the practice of gratitude helps me a lot,” says psychologist Teresa Mascardo. – Usually I take a pen and a notebook and write out everything and everyone to whom I am grateful, and even the most insignificant reasons for gratitude. This helps me regain a sense of control over my own life, and I turn from a victim into a winner.

If the level of anxiety starts to go off scale, I call one of my close friends and talk about what’s on my mind. This usually helps. After all, we are all going through a common traumatic experience right now, and it’s important not to forget that.”

“I allow myself to experience all the emotions that arise”

“And I officially allow myself to experience the whole range of emotions and states: fear, anger, impotence, hope, joy,” says social worker Alyssa Mancao. “In uncertain times like this, I try to treat myself and my needs with the utmost empathy and understanding, not to criticize or judge myself.”

“I try to read less news”

“It seemed to me important to reduce the consumption of all content, especially negative content,” says social worker Aliya Nuridin. – I try not to go to social networks unnecessarily, not to endlessly scroll the feed and not follow all the news releases.

I also asked friends, relatives and acquaintances not to discuss the pandemic and everything related to it with me. So I explained: I understand that you want to keep me informed, but such news only unsettles me.

“Seeking salvation in nature”

“As a rule, all I want after a busy day is to collapse on the couch with a book or a series. However, as long as the weather allows, I force myself to walk at least a couple of evenings a week in the nearest park. Listen to the rustle of leaves, the sound of the wind and the singing of birds, touch the bark of trees. It’s soothing,” says family therapist Jennifer Chappel Marsh.

“I focus on what I can control”

“Tolerating uncertainty and facing my fears can be difficult, but I try to let them be and redirect my focus to what I can somehow control,” says psychologist and OCD specialist Michael Stein. “I switch to everyday activities that require my attention, and make decisions regarding my private and professional life: how many appointments to have per day, what to wear, where and how to spend the weekend.”

“I try not to overwork”

“I, like many people, used to be immersed in work,” recalls Ryan’s psychologist Alice Anderson. “Fortunately, at some point I realized that in the long run it only harms my mental health.

In addition to practice, I am engaged in social work, and, like all of us, I have to check every day whether I and my loved ones have observed all safety measures. All this takes a resource, and I have to make sure that it is replenished in time.

“I meditate every day”

“To be precise, twice a day, morning and evening, even if only for five minutes. Firstly, it relaxes and calms, and secondly, no matter how busy the day is, I know that I was able to make time for myself, which means that I am still responsible for what happens in my life, ” psychologist Aimee Martinez admits.

“Practicing Radical Acceptance”

“Of course, like the vast majority of us, the current situation does not give me much pleasure, but I decided that I completely accept it: I still can’t change anything,” explains psychologist Rebecca Leslie.

“Seeking salvation in a hobby”

“During all these “waves” I didn’t try anything,” recalls family and marriage specialist Becky Whitstone. — I didn’t set ambitious goals for myself — for example, do the splits in a month or learn Chinese in three — but I just looked for something that I really like. And in the end I settled on knitting and scrapbooking.

“Striving for harmony”

“Even before the pandemic, I was forced to find a balance between different roles: a specialist and a wife, a mother and a friend, and now this task has come to the fore,” says psychologist Dana Crawford. “Sometimes it helps me to follow the routine, and sometimes it helps me to refuse it.

At some moments I feel better because I managed to complete everything planned, and sometimes because I allowed myself to be lazy. I try to listen as sensitively as possible to my condition and not ignore my own needs – in my opinion, this is the most important thing right now. ”

What helps you deal with anxiety?